It's Just the Beginning
by KardiaDegelShip
Summary: Original series meets Lost Canvas: Saga and Kanon lead you through their trip to Sanctuary as kids. But remember, though it may seem harsh, this journey from Japan around the tip of Africa to the Meditteranian Sea is only the beginning...
1. Chapter 1

Hey there. We're the Gemini Saints, Saga and Kanon. We want to help those who want to become Saints by writing this story about how much your life changes, just by traveling to Sanctuary. This is our childhood days, when we were on our way to Sanctuary.

Our story begins when we were 12 years old and sailing from Japan to Greece, our new training station; we were going to train to be Gold Saints, the highest Saint rank. The ship we were sailing on was full of sailors who drank day and night, always behaving violently. They would always beat up on us, so we did our best to protect each other.

But one night, all of that changed. A typhoon came and blew gallons upon gallons of water into the hold of the boat, where the sailors had currently been using us as punching bags. Just about everyone on board had drowned, with the exception of us.

Saga's P.O.V.

Kanon and I quickly found the door and swam out. We paddled into the hallway and out onto the foredeck, where we ran up the slanting surface, slipping and dripping wet, to the bow. I grabbed Kanon as the deck became vertical, seizing the railing. Our only option was to climb, so up we went.

As Kanon reached the point beside me, I looked down. The sea was a surging, sucking maw of water and broken ship parts that looked a little too much like Charybdis. Kanon grabbed my hand; I could see he was terrified. He was scared of heights. We had to be at least 75 feet in the air, which probably wasn't helping.

"Kanon," I said to him, "we're gonna have to jump." I saw the immense fear building in his green eyes, and felt his grip tighten.

"I can't, Saga," he whispered, his wide eyes staring at me nervously. "I can't."

"If you're going to be a Saint, then you need to face your fears and jump with me," I told him. "It's the only way we'll survive. If we get sucked into that water, we're dead." His grip on my hand tightened so much I was losing the feeling in my fingers. With a slight nod, he whispered, "Alright. Let's go."

With that said, we jumped off of the bow, away from the churning sinkage, free falling into the dark abyss of cold, splashing water.

Kanon's P.O.V.

I had too many thoughts running through my mind. I thought I was going to die; I thought I was going to get sucked into the whirlpool; I thought if I escaped from any of that, I would drown...

We hit the water with a loud SMACK! I came up for air, my whole body stiff under the cold impact and stars dancing in my eyes. I soon felt the fierce pull of the whirlpool and began to panic. I frantically looked for Saga, fearing that he might have been swept away. Luckily, his head pop up in between breaks in the waves. Swimming against the current with surprising ease, I grabbed onto his hand. We kicked against the current, shedding our coats, sweatshirts, and shoes to lighten our weight.

Saga began to give out. The shock of the impact and numbness from the cold had made him so stiff and shaken he could barely move his limbs. A five-foot wave swelled in front of us, engulfing us in a swirling tornado of water. I pulled Saga to the surface, gasping and choking on water. There wasn't a lifeboat to be seen. I grabbed the nearest thing I could find: a six-by-four plank of timber. Saga hung limply off the edge of the plank, breathless and shaking. I hauled myself over the edge, and then used all of the strength I had left to pull my exhausted brother up over the edge.

This was where we sat for the next five minutes, watching the last of the sinking ship slip beneath the surface.

Saga's P.O.V.

I think I got the brunt of the whole "Hey, let's jump off a sinking ship!" idea. My ankle hurt from sipping on the deck, and I was so sick from all of the seawater going down my throat that I retched over the side of the plank. The water just kept coming as Kanon held me up, and when it finally stopped, my throat burned.

As I laid on my back, I realized that the sea was calmer than I first thought. The waves were

wind-blown and gently rocked our 'raft' as Kanon rubbed my shoulder. I closed my eyes, feeling the soothing rock of the waves as Kanon laid down beside me. I opened my eyes to see him looking at me.

"What?" I ask him.

"You make funny noises with your nose when you sleep," he replied, smiling.

"I wasn't sleeping," I protested. "Nor did I hear anything." Kanon just smirked and closed his eyes, with me following him. My heartbeat mingled with the rock of the raft, gently lulling me to sleep.

"Wake up, Saga." Kanon was gently shaking my shoulder. I opened my sleepy eyes to see my brother looking down at me against a beautiful sunset. He looked worried.

"Is something wrong, Kanon?" I rasped, my throat dry from regurgitating seawater.

"No, I'm just worried about you," he replied. "Your lips are bleeding, and it sounded like you weren't breathing. You really scared me."

"Sorry," I managed, before the dull ache in my throat increased to a sharp pain.

"Hey, look," Kanon said, pointing. "There's land!" I painfully rolled onto my stomach and squinted at the horizon. All of a sudden, waves began to rock our 'raft' very alarmingly.

"Kanon," I said, "What's going on?"

"Don't worry, it's just me," he said, his arms raised straight out, his eyes focused in concentration.

"What are you doing?" I asked, dumbfounded by Kanon's ability to control water.

"It's a trick I picked up from Baian before we left Japan," he explained. His eyes focused on the water in front of us, and we began to move significantly quicker. I propped myself up on my elbows, watching Kanon's light-navy-blue hair fly out behind him, as if he were soaring across a wide, blue, ocean sky.

Kanon's P.O.V.

A few weeks before Saga and I were to leave for Sanctuary, Baian had led me to the docks and taught me how to make and control waves. The trick was to let your cosmos seep into the air and use it to create waves, then connect with the waves to make them bigger and carry you smoothly.

Our first drill was out on surfboards. Baian had taken me to a lagoon close to the docks. We stayed there all day, and even when I told him I couldn't do it, he never gave up on me. He would bring me there every other day and keep teaching me until one day, I finally did it. It wasn't a huge wave, but it was big enough to surf on. After that day, I never once doubted myself.

Baian never ceased to help me. We were almost the same age, so we were pretty close friends. He was the one who had taught me to surf in the first place. Once I got good at it, we'd hold contests to see who was the better surfer; he usually won. After all that time in Japan, he was my closest friend, and nobody, not even Saga, could have taken that place.

Anywho, getting back to our progress, we ended up on a stranded island in who-knows-where, with who-knows-what on shore. Sounds pretty adventurous, right? Yeah... If only we knew what would happen...

Saga's P.O.V.

After about 10 minutes, the raft bumped gently against a sandbar. I slowly sat up, looking at the beautiful island oasis, then to Kanon. He was exhausted; his skinny body was slumped over, like all his energy had been wasted. I could see pain in his eyes. He crawled off of the raft onto the shallow water of the sandbar and laid on his back, eyes closed.

"You must be really tired," I said sympathetically.

"I am," he replied hoarsely. " I almost gave out."

"Take a rest," I said. "I'll check out the beach." He nodded and sat up, his clothes soaking wet. He crawled deeper into the water, letting the waves wash over him.

I stood up and walked shakily to shore, since the water was only to my knees once I passed over the sandbar. My footprints showed my trembling steps; after recently jumping from the bow of a ship and lying on a plank for who knows how long, I was VERY sore. My ankle felt like it was getting stabbed with a knife. I was cold, and hoped that I could find some place for us to use as shelter for the night.

The island looked deserted. There was no sign of any recent activity, only some animal footprints that looked at least a week old. I ventured another 40 yards into the trees, but saw nothing.

As I made my way back to the coast line, I came across a large group of intertwining trees. The trunks of the trees were bent together, and no light came through the top. This wonder of nature was considerably large on the inside, and the trees were so close together that I couldn't see through the tiny cracks in between where the trees met. I knew that I had found the perfect shelter as I headed back towards Kanon.

Kanon's P.O.V.

I was tired. My muscles were tight, and my limbs felt like jelly. My knee was on fire. I was hardly able to get off of the raft.

Then the sea water hit me. It felt smooth to the touch, cooling my sunburnt skin. I sank lower into it, feeling my energy slowly return. A white-crested wave washed over me, soaking me right to the top of my head. I didn't care, though; I was beyond the point of caring about anything at this moment in time.

As Saga padded across the shore, I clumsily dove into the next wave, all of my muscles tightening in protest. I stood in the chest-deep water, feeling the smooth sand under my feet. My wet hair plastered my face and neck, and the wind sang in my ears. The cool water refreshed me.

I remembered wrestling on the playground, and all of the fun we used to have at the training facility. Most of all, I pictured playing the epic games of soccer. Mu was a cheater; he kept levitating the ball, even though we called no psychokinetic powers.

I think the best soccer player of all of us was Milo, even though he was only seven years old. Every spare moment he could find, he spent practicing. If you had Milo on your team, you were lucky. Libra Dohko visited once, and he was a good soccer player too. That was our lives: soccer and training.

Thinking about all the friends we left behind made me really lonely. Even some of the younger kids, like Milo and Camus, were nice to hang out with. But the person I missed most was Aiolos; he was one of Saga's closest friends. He was our age, so we hung out pretty often. He was one of the nicest people I had ever met. When I was off doing something with Baian or just wandering around by myself, he would hang out with Saga, and I really appreciate him for helping my brother. Saga was really nervous about training and becoming a Saint, so Aiolos always kept his mind occupied with something other than fighting and war. I feel like he was really watching out for Saga, and I feel like that's what Saga needed most.


	2. Chapter 2

Saga's P.O.V.

The sun was low on the horizon by the time I emerged on the beach. I recognized the dark image of Kanon in the water, walking chest-deep in the sea. I limped over to the water, the coolness refreshing me.

"What's up?," I asked him weakly, my voice still a bit lost. He looked slightly better; he wasn't as pale and his eyes were brighter.

"All of my muscles are stiff," Kanon replied drily. "It hurts to move."

"I found a decent shelter for the night," I told him. He looked up from the water and smiled at me.

"That's great," he acknowledged. "Where is it?"

"On the beach," I replied. "The inside is thick with sand. It's a huge grove of trees that are all twisted together. It's incredible." I demonstrated, intertwining my fingers.

"Sounds nice," Kanon said. He waded into the water a little deeper, his hair floating behind him as he slipped beneath the water. He surfaced a little while later, wiping his face with his hands. I waded out to him and placed an arm around his bare shoulders. It comforted me in a way, making me realize that I'm not alone. Kanon put his hand on my shoulder and leaned his head on me, sighing. I wish we had more moments like this, just Kanon and me.

Kanon's P.O.V.

I was bone tired. The waves gently rocked against my chin as I leaned my head on Saga's shoulder. I closed my eyes, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

I looked out to sea. I saw another flashback of Camus and me sitting on the rocks one evening, watching the sun fade from view until it was dark. That was when he told me he was going to Siberia to gain the Aquarius cloth. He placed a hand on my shoulder and told me about how he figured out his power to control water, snow, and ice. His big blue eyes sparkled with happiness, and he seemed so excited to go. That's when his face turned downcast and he told me about Milo.

Camus and Milo were basically inseparable. At night, when we were all supposed to go to our rooms, I often stopped at the younger kids' rooms to tuck them in. Whenever I stopped in Milo's room, I could hear Camus reading to him. Every now and then Milo would interrupt, and Camus would tell him to shut up and listen, which is pretty adorable coming from a seven-year-old.

To say the least, Milo didn't take the news too well. After Camus had told him he couldn't stay, Milo ran to the harbor and flung himself at the end of a dock, crying loudly as he curled into a ball. Camus had talked to him for forever. Milo begged him to stay, told him that he was his best friend and only he could read him stories, but the boy with blue-green hair didn't know what to do. In the end, they both made a promise that they'd meet again in Sanctuary, when they were both Saints.

"Ready to go to bed?," asked Saga, disturbing my flashback. "I'm tired."

"Yeah," I said, feeling tired myself. "Let's go check out that place you found." We stiffly waded out of the water, my leg feeling like it was on fire.

We hobbled over to the raft and grabbed the waterproof bags we salvaged from the water. Two small backpacks were full to the brim with medical supplies. The other three were bigger, filled with food and water, blankets, and clothes. I found some twine and a pocket knife in one of the medical bags.

I glimpsed the shelter once we were out of the water; shivering racked my body as the wind blew. Saga was coughing and shivering, too. We found a piece of flint and a fire starter among the first aid supplies and started a small fire in the middle of the shelter. I took out the slightly oversized clothes and blankets and changed. I bound myself in a blanket and curled up next to Saga, who had also helped himself to a change of clothes and a warm blanket.

Saga grabbed the medical supplies. My knee was displaced, and my arm was scraped pretty bad, though I have no idea how. Saga broke his ankle, and he was coughing a lot. I inspected his throat, but I couldn't tell what illness he had.

I couldn't understand how we'd manage to get anywhere. For now, we were going to sit by the fire and warm up. Saga leaned his head on my shoulder, his body shaking like a mini-earthquake. I grabbed another blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders. He snuggled up under my chin, and we slept.

Saga's P.O.V.

The fire was still burning strong when I woke up. I was laying with my head in Kanon's lap. I was freezing, and my throat was sore. Kanon stirred in his sleep as I sat up and watched him, listening to the whistling sound he made in his sleep. Chuckling, I stood stiffly and limped out of the shelter to sit by the sea.

I heard it before I saw it. A low rumbling started up; I soon noticed the clouded sky. The waves were tipped with white horses, rushing the coast. A drop of water fell from the sky and hit my face. I slowly rose from my comfortable position on the sand and followed my odd step-drag path that went to the shelter, my bound-up ankle throbbing.

Kanon was awake when I got there. He was sitting by the fire, inspecting the bruises on his knee. I sat down next to him, resting my chin on my knees.

"Where were you?" he asked skeptically.

"On the shore," I replied. "Kanon, I've got some bad news."

"What is it?"

"There's a hurricane on its way."

Kanon's P.O.V.

After all Saga and I have been through, the gods decide to send us a hurricane! "By the way, puny humans, since you don't have the proper gear to avoid it, we'll send you a hurricane!" Next they'll be sending us the Kraken, for crying out loud!

"WONDERFUL!" I exclaimed sarcastically. "As if we need anything else to worry about!" I stood up and stormed out of the shelter, fully aware of my knee flaring in protest of my outburst. I stood up to my shins in the ocean, holding out my hands and looked out to sea.

"Bring it on!" I screamed in defiance. "I'm not scared of a hurricane!"

I walked out of the water and climbed onto a large rock by the sea. I saw something in the water; climbing down into the shallow pool, there was a very disturbing sight. A boy our age lay limp on the lip of the pool. I struggled down between the rocks and inspected him. Luckily, he was alive.

"Kanon," Saga yelled down to me, "what happened here? He looks like he's only been here for a day or so." It was true; the boy's back was slightly sunburnt, and he wasn't all that skinny, like someone who would've been there for a while would have been. He flinched under my touch, and I pulled my hand back, hoping I didn't hurt him.

His arms suddenly moved, and he pushed himself off the ground with a slight groan. He had to be at least 5'2" (he was probably as tall as Saga and me), and his sky-blue hair hung at his waist.

"How long have I been here?" he asked, his voice dry and cracked.

"I don't know," I told him. "We just found you about a minute ago. Are you hurt?" He tested his weight on each of his legs, then stretched his arms one at a time. After twisting his torso, he replied, "No, I think I'm alright. Just a little sore. What are your names?"

"I'm Kanon, and this is my brother, Saga," I replied. "What's your name?"

"Julian," said the boy. "Julian Solo."

"The English Prince?!" I gasped. "But you don't sound like an Englishman, or act like the fancy princes I heard about in fairy tales."

Julian laughed heartily. "I'm not all that fancy, I promise."

Saga's P.O.V.

We led Julian up to our fort. On the way there, I saw him turn pale. His shoulders were shaking, and he was walking funny, like his upper legs were hurting him. I fell back a little bit to walk beside him.

We had just walked through the opening when Julian collapsed. He fell right against the wall, and rolled into the sand, groaning loudly. His head had a golf ball-sized gash. Kanon knelt beside Julian and felt his forehead.

"He's got hypothermia." He looked up at me, and I grabbed some blankets and a first aid bag. Kanon wrapped two blankets tightly around Julian, and I bandaged his head. I wish I knew how Kanon could tell how Julian had hypothermia. But I didn't judge him, knowing that hypothermia is a disease which probably happens often to people half-clothed and wet and exposed to the night chill.

Julian tried to lift his head as I bandaged it, but laid his head back in my lap. I finished the last wind of gauze around his head and tucked the loose end in place. I sat with my legs straight and propped up on a bag, a folded blanket in my lap; Julian's head rested on it as he squeezed his eyes shut and groaned in pain. His sleepy blue eyes opened and looked up at me. He brought a hand up to his head, frowned, and closed his eyes again. It seemed like he fell asleep before his eyes even closed; he was out like a light.

Kanon's P.O.V.

After a good twenty minutes, my sharp ears heard the rain start to fall heavily on the sand. I began to feel some sort of mental pull, like the rain was calling me. I hobbled out of the shelter; why I was listening to the feeling, I don't know. I reached the banks and stood in the water about ankle-deep.

The swell rose right in front of me. Before I knew it, I was doused from head to toe in sea water. I gasped, the freezing water piercing my skin. I ran out of the water's reach and sat in the sand, watching the biggest white-tipped, wind-blown waves I've ever seen crash against the rocks. I was REALLY certain that the wave that just hit me didn't materialize like that naturally; I knew Poseidon was warning me.

I jogged painfully back to the shelter. Saga stared at me in disbelief as I brutally sat down, groaning as my knee jarred against a rock under the sand. I rolled my wet shorts up a little to examine my new injury.

"That's gonna leave a nasty mark," I grumbled.

"What were you doing out there?" Saga blurted. "You're gonna get sick, too!"

"Chill out," I told him. I threw another piece of wood on the fire. "You worry too much."

Julian stirred in his sleep, mumbling something I couldn't make out.

"I'm beat," I told Saga. "I need a nap."

Saga's P.O.V.

That hurricane scared me to death! It sounded like a train was running 100 miles an hour around our refuge. It amazed me to see Julian Solo sleep through at least two hours of gale-force winds today. How can anyone do that?

Julian eventually woke up, rolling onto his back so he could see Kanon and me.

"How long was I asleep?" he asked.

"A good three hours or so," Kanon replied. Julian sat up and groaned, his teeth clenched, head in his hands.

"You should rest," Kanon advised. "Getting up so early after your accident will only increase the pain." Julian laid on my lap again and stared at the 'ceiling' of our shelter.

"Don't worry, you should be able to get up in the next day or two," I told him.

"That's reassuring," Julian smiled and closed his eyes, quickly falling into another quiet slumber.

Kanon's P.O.V.

The storm gave me some comfort. It helped me keep my mind off of the stabbing pain in my knee. The rain came down in large, waving sheets, and the wind only made it worse.

I took one step outside to collect some rainwater and was overwhelmed by the piercing sting of the heavy precipitation. Coupled with the wind, the rain felt like daggers plunging into my skin. I shot back into the shelter and eased my body onto my blanket, my head pounding from the beating I took from the rain.

"What were you doing that time?" Saga said angrily.

"I was testing the strength of Poseidon's wrath," I joked.

"Yeah," Saga said closing his eyes and yawning, "just wait until you go out and feel the REAL power behind Poseidon's wrath." I just rolled my eyes and stared into the fire. Poseidon wouldn't hurt me.

I began to think about what was happening at the Sanctuary. What would you do if two of the trainees went missing? I decided not to worry about it. Eventually, I curled up and went to sleep.

Saga's P.O.V.

I awoke to see Julian laying with his head on some of the empty packs, staring up at the ceiling. His eyes suddenly maneuvered to look at me.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" I asked. He brought a finger to his lips and nodded his head in Kanon's direction. He was curled in a tight ball with a blanket wrapped around his body.

"Oh," I whispered. "He must've pushed himself to his limits. He's usually up by this time in the morning." I couldn't help the overwhelming feeling to go over to him. I limped over to Kanon and laid down beside him, pulling a blanket over myself.

I felt his forehead. It was boiling hot. I found a rag in one of the clothes bags and wet it with fresh rain water, placing it on Kanon's forehead. He opened his eyes and squinted up at me, worming his hand out of his blanket and clasping mine.

"You look tired," I told him.

"I am," he replied, coughing a few times.

"You don't sound good," I added, concerned that he might've caught hypothermia from the rain.

"I'm fine," he said, sitting up. "Jeez, it's cold." I picked up a blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders. He laid back down, laying the wet cloth over his forehead.


	3. Chapter 3

Kanon's P.O.V

Even though it wasn't raining anymore, I was stupid. Going out when it WAS raining; what was I thinking? I felt horrible. My body hurt when I coughed, and I was running a fever. Saga wiped my hair out of my eyes and settled down next to me. Julian stood up and walked outside.

"What do you suppose he's up to?" I asked no one in particular.

"No idea," Saga replied. "He's probably just taking a little walk." Nodding, I snuggled up under his chin, leaning my head on his chest. He held me in a warm embrace for quite some time.

Suddenly, Julian burst into the shelter, spraying sand in every direction. He had the happiest look on his face, like he just got engaged to Cinderella or something.

"What's got you so hyped?" Saga asked.

"There's a rescue boat docking!" Julian yelled enthusiastically. "We're saved!"

Saga's P.O.V.

Kanon and I ran to the beachfront to wait for the arrival of the boat. It wasn't easy-going; we both fell at least one time each. We eventually made it to the open patch of the shore, where we collapsed from exhaustion. All of a sudden, I heard Julian's pain-filled cry as he fell in the sand. Kanon and I ran back to help him.

"What happened?!" I asked.

"I slipped and fell on a loose rock," Julian growled in pain, cradling his bloody arm. Kanon took his shirt off and folded it, pressing it against Julian's arm. After closer inspection, he confirmed that it was just a cut, but he'd need stitches.

I was so relieved to see the boat. I couldn't wait to get out of here.

The rescue crew wasn't the kind I was used to seeing, to put it simply. It consisted of three Gold Saints: Virgo Asmita, Scorpio Kardia, and Aquarius Degel. The Gold Saints jumped out of the boat onto the water and ran to shore.

Degel was the first one to reach us, Kardia bringing up the rear because he fell and skidded on the water head-first. Asmita had his eyes closed, as usual. And of course, Degel was wearing his reading glasses, without his headgear on.

Nevertheless, I was happy to finally be rescued.

Kanon's P.O.V.

"Are you alright?" Degel asked us, worry flooding his words.

"No disrespect intended, but I'd say we're fine if we aren't dead, Degel," Julian said.

"That is true, my young friend," Degel said. "Let's get you guys to the boat. Kardia, Asmita. Carry the kids to the boat first. Be gentle; they don't need to be in any worse pain than they're already in." With that, Kardia picked me up, Asmita picked up Saga, and we were brought to the boat.

"Thank you, Virgo," Saga croaked out as we reached the boat.

"Call me Asmita," the Virgo Saint said with a grin.

"WHY do we have to jump out of the boat ONTO THE WATER when we're on a rescue mission?" Kardia complained, taking off his headgear and wringing out his hair. "I can't play Jesus like you guys!"

Degel sighed as he helped Julian onto the boat. "Kardia, I'm not going to explain it again." Kardia took out some medical supplies and blankets. He took one of my hands, cleaned out the cuts with peroxide, and swiftly bandaged my forearm.

"I'm glad we got here in time," Degel said. "If the Pope would have held off the rescue for a month like he said he would, they could've been in much worse condition." Saga coughed, grimacing as he rubbed his throat. I could tell he was hurting. Degel strode over to him and said, "Let me take a look." Saga removed his hand, and Degel felt his throat.

"Tonsillitis," he concluded, walking to the wheel and grabbed a yellow liquid from the storage container. Using a normal dinner spoon, he measured out the liquid and gave it to Saga. "Drink this. It'll help with your sore throat." Saga looked at it suspiciously, then downed the liquid, cringing at the taste.

"We'd better get going if we're to make it to Sanctuary by sundown," Asmita said.

"Agreed," Degel replied. He walked over to the wheel and started the engine. In a short time, the island was out of sight.

Saga's P.O.V.

On our way across the ocean, I listened to Kardia argue loudly with Degel about why he couldn't drive the boat. Degel told him that if he was driving, they'd never make it to the rescue sight because he'd have too much fun. Asmita just sat by and watched the argument, smiling.

"I've heard this is what they do every time they are on a rescue mission together," he yelled over the motor, the wind blowing his cape back and his hair in his face.

"You'd think that would get old after a while," I yelled back. The Virgo Saint nodded, now facing the wind. Kardia had given up on the fight and stalked to the back of the boat. He sat down next to me, the wind blowing his long bangs back to show his bright eyes. Taking a look at his face, he was quite pale.

" Kardia," I said, "are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm alright kid," he replied with a sigh. He flashed me that funny lopsided grin of his and cast his eyes on the horizon."I mean, I do feel queasy from time to time. I was fine on the way here." Curiosity snuck its way through his words. "It usually comes before I get a fever..." His eyes snapped wider, and he quickly strode over to where Degel was driving the boat.

At first, I didn't know why Kardia was so surprised. After thinking it over, I remembered what I heard about him: when he was a kid, he got a horrible heart disease which made his heart overheat. It's incurable, and if his body can't cool down fast enough, his heart could burn up and he could die. In Kardia's case, he would need the help of a Saint that can generate enough cold to prevent it from spreading and diminish the burning sensation. I also heard that Degel was the only person who could generate that much cold.

"KARDIA!" Degel screamed in terror as he watched Kardia dropped to the ground, groaning in pain and clutching his chest.

Kanon's P.O.V.

"Asmita!" Degel yelled. Asmita rushed to the driver's seat and kept the boat on the same steady course. Degel had stripped off Kardia's and his own armor and held him close to his chest. His cosmos began to burn fiercely, and the air around us turned cold. Saga shuffled along the seats to me, teeth chattering as we shared his blanket. Julian was staring wide-eyed at the amazing power that just one Saint alone could possess.

Degel's cosmic energy grew to the maximum, and he was showing a little fatigue. The air was well below zero now, with a thick fog that was shielding my view of the two Saints. Saga's hand squeezed mine as Degel's life force exploded, knocking us against the back of the seats.

As the mist cleared, I heard a muffled sigh and a gasp as something hit the ground. Kardia's huddled figure appeared, his arm around an overly-exhausted Aquarius Saint. The temperature returned to normal, and all that could be heard was Degel's rapid breathing and the waves crashing against the boat.

"Why are you so winded?" Kardia asked.

"I think the wound from that fight a few days ago opened up during the treatment," Degel breathed.

"What do you mean? You got hurt?" the Scorpio Saint questioned, confused. "You never told me about any wound."

"That's because I didn't want you worrying about me," Degel replied.

"Why do you always gotta be my savior, huh?"

"Because you're my friend," Degel said hoarsely, a small smile creeping across his face. "That's what friends do."

"You're so stupid. Now I gotta repay you somehow. And don't even tell me 'no', because that's not how I roll." Kardia helped him up and remove his armor; he walked Degel over to a row of seats across from us, helping him remove his shirt, which now had a bloody patch on the front. Kardia inspected the gash in Degel's side, then bandaged it expertly. The Aquarius Saint laid down, and Kardia laid a blanket over him.

"Get some rest," Kardia said sympathetically, patting his shoulder. Degel smiled weakly before removing his glasses and closing his eyes. Asmita revved the engine and we kept on our long journey to the Sanctuary.

Saga's P.O.V.

We reached the dock just before sunset, as the Gold Saints had promised Pope Sage. We docked the boat near the gates. Asmita carried me and Julian; Kardia carried Kanon in one arm and supported Degel with the other. We received stares from many people at the docks, but Asmita and Kardia didn't seem to care.

A second later, I saw two Gold Saints sprint down the dock towards us; Aries Shion and Libra Dohko.

"What happened here?!" asked Dohko, alarmed.

"We rescued the prince and these twins as Pope Sage has asked us, and in perfect timing," Kardia said. "Is Aspros still in the Gemini Temple?"

"As far as we know," Shion said. "We'll have to hurry if you're going to make it to the Pope's Chambers before it gets dark."

"Shion, take Julian," Kardia instructed. "Dohko, take the kid for me. I'll carry Degel."

Shion teleported us to the Pope's Chambers, where the Grand Pope Sage was sitting on his throne.

"What perfect timing, Athena's Saints," Pope Sage remarked. The Gold Saints made a move to kneel, but the Pope stopped them from doing so. "There is no need for that at the moment. Get the children and Aquarius Degel to the infirmary for inspection." The Gold Saints dipped their heads in a quick bow, and we exited the Pope's Chambers.

"Hey, not to be rude or anything, but I can walk now," Kanon said.

"Okay, but tell me if you get tired again," replied Dohko, putting him down.

"I can stand, too," I told Asmita. He nodded and set me on the ground. I grabbed Kanon's hand and we began walking again.

"Master!" Two voices echoed throughout the stone columns. Kardia looked up and smiled; two young boys were running towards us, one with blue curly hair and one with straight hair in greenish-blue color. As they got closer, I could see that it was Camus and Milo.

"Kardia, put me down," Degel said weakly.

"No," the Scorpio Saint replied. "You wouldn't be able to stand, and you know it."

"I know, but... I don't want Camus to see me like this," Degel insisted. "He's seven years old, and very fragile."

"That's why they're here, Degel," Kardia argued. "To learn to strengthen themselves and fight for justice. If you keep babying him the way you do, he'll stay little for the rest of his life. He needs to see you in the shape you're in to understand what it means to be a Saint."

"But that's not the point I'm trying to explain, Kardia! He's only seven; that's not old enough to understand this!"

"Which is why we are taught at a young age! Look Degel; I'm not trying to fight with you, but you're not thinking about what I'm saying! I realize that you're used to being right all the time, but this time you gotta let it go and be wrong for once. Yes, I realize he's only seven years old and he doesn't understand yet, but we need to _explain to him_ and _show him_ what it's like to be a Saint." Degel sighed heavily, leaning his head against Kardia's shoulder.

"Alright, you win." Kardia smiled and looked up just as the two young boys approached.

"What happened to Master Degel?" Camus asked, his little voice full of worry.

"The wound on his side opened up," Asmita said, placing a hand on the little boy's shoulder. "Don't worry; it'll be fine." Camus nodded, then looked up at Degel with those big blue eyes. The Aquarius Saint lowered an arm to ruffle the boy's hair, and Camus smiled up at him.

"So does this mean _I_ get to play doctor now?" he questioned.

"I guess so," Degel said, chuckling a little.

Milo, who had been watching the scene intently, looked back and met my eyes. He stared for a while before smiling and running towards me, yelling, "Saga, Kanon, you made it!" Without warning, he jump on me, his arms around my neck as his legs encircled my waist, almost knocking me backwards.

"Hey, Milo," I laughed, hugging him. Camus had ran over, too, his head buried in Kanon's stomach as he hugged his waist.

"Even being the person I am, that's kinda cute," Kardia admitted.

"Don't worry," Degel said with a smile. "We all know you're just a big softie on the inside."

"Pft, No I'm not," Kardia said angrily, looking at a nearby column with a pouty face as he blushed.

"Asmita," Degel said, "you can see it on his face, can't you? He always acts all bloodthirsty and ornery, but when it comes to kids he's just a big teddy bear."

"No I'm not," Kardia grumbled again, his ears and face beet red. Asmita just smiled and kept walking in silence.

Kanon's P.O.V.

It wasn't long until I began to wonder: did Saga and I _really_ know what we were getting into? Sure we were 12 years old, but I don't think we fully understood what life would be like, either. Gold Saints are trained much harder and in more situations, making them the strongest of all the Saints. We knew we'd have to work hard and give it our absolute best.

The training we'd endure, the separations, the evil whims... We had no idea. But as Kardia said, even though we were only kids, we'd learn eventually. And in our four plus years of training, we'd figure those things out soon enough. Remember, this was just the part of getting to Sanctuary. We can't really say what it's like to be a Saint; all Saints are different. But we _can_ tell you this: even when the training gets rough, and your body can't take anymore, keep pushing. Find the motivation to keep going until you become one of those 12 Gold Saints, because we know you can. And _you_ know you can.

Reach for the stars, dear reader. Because we did; and we made it. And we know you can make it, too.

End


End file.
